what they meant. On the
very tiptop of the chair, over the head of Grandfather himself, was a
likeness of a lion's head, which had such a savage grin that you would
almost expect to hear it growl and snarl.

The children had seen Grandfather sitting in this chair ever since they
could remember any thing. Perhaps the younger of them supposed that he and
the chair had come into the world together, and that both had always been
as old as they were now. At this time, however, it happened to be the
fashion for ladies to adorn their drawing-rooms with the oldest and oddest
chairs that could be found. It seemed to cousin Clara that if these ladies
could have seen Grandfather's old chair, they would have thought it worth
all the rest together. She wondered if it were not even older than
Grandfather himself, and longed to know all about its history.

"Do, Grandfather, talk to us about this chair," she repeated.

"Well, child," said Grandfather, patting Clara's cheek, "I can tell you a
great many stories of my chair. Perhaps your cousin Laurence would like to
hear them too. They would teach him something about the history and
distinguished people of his country, which he has never read in any of his
school-books."

Cousin Laurence was a boy of twelve, a bright scholar, in whom an early
thoughtfulness and sensibility began to show themselves. His young fancy
kindled at the idea of knowing all the adventures of this venerable chair.
He looked eagerly in Grandfather's face; and even Charley, a bold, brisk,
restless little fellow of nine, sat himself down on the carpet, and
resolved to be quiet for at least ten minutes, should the story last so
long.

Meantime, little Alice was already asleep; so Grandfather, being much
pleased with such an attentive audience, began to talk about matters that
had happened long ago.

Chapter II

But, before relating the adventures of the chair, Grandfather found it
necessary to speak of the circumstances that caused the first settlement
of New England. For it will soon be perceived that the story of this
remarkable chair cannot be told without telling a great deal of the
history of the country.

So, Grandfather talked about the Puritans, as those persons were called
who thought it sinful to practise the religious forms and ceremonies which
the Church of England had borrowed from the Roman Catholics. These
Puritans suffered so much persecution in England that, in 1607, many of
them w